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THE BRIDE OF THE WHITE HOUSE. 

|<^T the time of President Cleveland's inauguration 
none but the boldest of prophets would have 
*Q% ventured to predict the social revolution which 
has occurred within the White House. Mr. 
Cleveland having reached that period in life when a 
man's habits are commonly supposed to have crystallized 
into a confirmed bachelorhood, nobody seems to have 
thought of his marriage as a possible contingency. 
Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland had been duly installed 
as " the first lady in the land," and the graceful way in 
which she filled the somewhat complicated duties of 
that position had added a sense of satisfaction to the 
general public acquiescence in what appeared to be the 
inevitable arrangement of the Presidential domestic 
economy. 

Miss Cleveland had, moreover, put forward a claim 
to public attention quite apart from that naturally at- 
tending her high social position. It had long been 
known that she was a lady of considerable culture with 
strong literary leanings, but it was a matter of genuine 
surprise when, in the autumn of 1885, sne published her 
volume of essays — "George Eliot's Poetry and other 
Studies" — a work which, though somewhat unequal in 

(v) 



VI MISS CLEVELAND S BOOK. 

execution, is nevertheless marked by much critical 
acumen, and embodies the conclusions of a mind at once 
clear in its processes and logical in its inferences. 

The reception accorded this volume was sufficiently 
favorable to encourage further ventures in the field of 
literature, and the American public began to plume 
itself upon the possession of a genuine authoress within 
the precincts of the Executive Mansion. But greater 
surprises were in store. It began to be whispered that 
the President seriously contemplated matrimony, and 
although these rumors did not immediately take definite 
shape they exhibited a persistency which compelled cre- 
dence, and even the refusal of those most nearly con- 
cerned to confirm them failed utterly to silence " Mrs. 
Grundy " in her assertion that where there was so much 
smoke there necessarily must be some fire. 

Presently, the reports took more definite shape ; 
names and localities began to be mentioned ; the ubiqui- 
tous reporter, with his ever-ready tablet and his ever- 
pointed pencil, made himself exceedingly active ; his 
keen professional scent could not be baffled ; and bit by 
bit the rather startling intelligence that Mr. Cleveland 
would exchange his bachelor freedom for the comforts 
of the connubial state became public property. It was 
learned that Miss Folsom, of Buffalo, was the lady of 
the President's choice; but, beyond this, little was known, 
and as the prospective bride was then in Europe the 
opportunities of the gossips were limited. The main 
facts of the lady's life soon became known, however, 



I 



! 



BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. Vll 

and much interest was manifested in anticipation of the 
changed social conditions at the Capital. The facts 
were concisely as follows : 

Miss Frank Folsom, whom the American public seem 
to have determined shall be rebaptized Frances, was 
born on the 21st of July, 1864, in the house No. 168 
Edward street, Buffalo, New York, and was conse- 
quently in her 2 2d year. At a later date the family 
removed to a dwelling in Franklin street subsequently 
occupied by Mr. George J. Letchworth, and, in 1875, 
they had gone to the Tifft House, where they were 
stopping at the time of Mr. Folsom's death. This sad 
event threw a deep gloom over the family, and, prob- 
ably with a view to a closer drawing of domestic ties, 
they went to Medina, taking up their abode with Mrs. 
Harmon, the widowed mother of Mrs. Folsom. 

The decease of the husband and father appears to 
have been a turning-point in the destinies of the family. 
Oscar Folsom was a man of genial good nature, gener- 
ous and open-hearted in a remarkable degree, and his 
death made a void not easily filled. 

From him his daughter inherited much of that power 
of winning the love and allegiance of friends which in 
her subsequent school-life was a noted characteristic. 

In appearance she was described as tall and grace- 
ful, with soft brown hair worn loosely drawn back from 
the forehead. Her eyes violet blue, her nose rather 
large and prominent; her mouth mobile and of singular 
beauty, and a distinct individuality imparted to the face 
by heavy eyebrows which nearly meet. 



Vlll EDUCATION. 

As a child, Frank had attended the French Kinder- 
garten of Mme. Brecker, and the quickness of appre- 
hension which she then displayed received a fuller 
exemplification when, upon the return of the family to 
Buffalo, she entered the Central School and almost im- 
mediately became the pronounced favorite of both 
teachers and her fellow-pupils. She threw her energies 
into her studies in a way which augured well for her 
future success in whatever field she should elect to 
occupy, and the development of her character in this 
matter of earnest application becomes a valuable pointer 
in aiding us to reach a just estimate of her personality, 
and to form a sound judgment as to her ability to fill 
with dignity the high social position to which she has 
been called. 

It was during the period of her attendance at the 
Central School that the incident occurred which has 
since led to some confusion regarding her Christian 
name. It seems that, owing to the masculine quality 
of the name Frank, Miss Folsom frequently found her- 
self figuring on the boys' lists — a circumstance which 
led to many errors on the part of others, and to no little 
annoyance to herself; she therefore temporarily adopted 
Clara as a middle name, and the insertion of the initial 
C after Frank was sufficient to bring about the quite 
common mistake of writing her name Frances. 

Mrs. Folsom at this time boarded with Mrs. Jonathan 
Mayhew, and afterwards occupied the house of Mrs. 
Boyd on Franklin street ; but the home-life of the family 



WELLS COLLEGE. IX 

seemed to be much broken up, and the daughter was 
glad to avail herself of her Central School certificate, 
which admitted her to the sophomore class at Wells 
College without preliminary examination. Here again 
she became a prime favorite, and it was during her 
sojourn at this institution that the flowers sent her from 
Albany, and the many evidences of regard which the 
Governor bestowed, began to cause a whisper that his 
attachment amounted to something more than mere 
friendly kindliness. The whisper grew into a much 
more definite utterance when Miss Folsom oraduated 
and was the recipient of really magnificent floral tributes 
from the White House conservatories. Governor Cleve- 
land had meanwhile become President of the United 
States, and the fact that he was a bachelor, coupled with 
the other fact that his exalted position kept him ever in 
the bright light of public scrutiny, conspired to set many 
tongues wagging as to the possible outcome of his ac- 
quaintance with the fair graduate, who, in June, 1885, 
said farewell to Alma Mate)' and went to spend the 
summer, or a part of it, at the residence of her- grand- 
father, the late Colonel John B. Folsom, in Folsomdale, 
Wyoming county, N. Y., two miles out of Cowlesville. 
This orentleman, whose recent death has made his errand- 
daughter the heiress to a considerable property, was 
familiarly called by her " Papa John," and a warm affec- 
tion seems ever to have existed between them. The 
old place is a typical homestead, possessing all the 
homely characteristics of farm-life combined with much 



X TRIP TO EUROPE. 

of solid comfort and refinement, and its associations are 
such as to form an excellent background for the experi- 
ences of an American girl in Europe — experiences which 
were soon to be those of the subject of this sketch. 

Exactly what understanding existed between the 
President and Miss Folsom at the time she went abroad 
may not be definitely known outside of the circle im- 
mediately interested, but it is likely that they were 
betrothed ere her departure. Both parties maintained 
a guarded silence, and it is an extraordinary circum- 
stance that, in these days of intensely personal jour- 
nalism, so delectable a morsel of gossip should have 
escaped parade in the newspapers until a date so near 
the occurrence of the nuptials. The fact points to the 
possession of much fortitude on the part of the Presi- 
dent, and much discretion on the part of the lady whom 
he had selected for his bride. Indeed, she seems to 
have gone to Europe for the purpose of recreation, and 
with the determination to maintain her privacy as a 
necessary condition thereto. 

Little was heard from Miss Folsom until, on the 27th 
of May, the Red Star steamer Nooi'dland, from Antwerp, 
sailed into the port of New York, having just transferred 
to a United States revenue cutter Miss Folsom, her 
mother, and her uncle, Mr. Benjamin Folsom. The 
cutter ran up the bay with an occasional salute of steam- 
whistles, but the party came comparatively unannounced. 
Colonel Lamont was present as the President's repre- 
sentative. At the pier the bride-elect was welcomed 



ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK. XI 

by Miss Cleveland, and the party was speedily installed 
at the Gilsey House. Mrs. Lamont, Mrs. Whitney, and 
Mrs. Endicott paid their respects early the following 
day, and on Sunday, the 30th, the President arrived in 
New York, and immediately repaired to the hotel to 
greet his future wife. He was accompanied by Secre- 
taries Whitney and Lamar, but these gentlemen left 
him at the ferry, and he met Mrs. and Miss Folsom 
alone in their private parlors. 

The hurried manner in which an American President 
is obliged to attend to personal matters, even of the 
first magnitude, is well exemplified in Mr. Cleveland's 
trip from Washington to New York to greet his bride- 
elect. A correspondent gives the following graphic 
description : 

" President Cleveland's last Sunday in bachelorhood 
was one of quiet but busy preparation for his journey 
to New York, and the other and most interesting event 
of the coming week. He attended church to-day (May 
30) with Miss Cleveland and Miss Nelson, but the good 
and oratorical Dr. Sunderland, the President's pastor, 
who is very proud of the part he has to perform on 
Wednesday, did not refer to the blissful event in prayer 
or sermon. After the service they drove to Secretary 
Manning's. They found Mr. Manning bright and cheer- 
ful, and he declared his purpose to attend the wedding. 

il The President left the White House at a little before 
four p. m. for the Baltimore and Potomac station. He 
drove around the back way, to and across the govern- 



Xll WASHINGTON TO NEW YORK. 

ment reservation south of Pennsylvania avenue, so that 
the loungers on that popular thoroughfare did not get 
a chance to give him a parting glance and God-speed. 
He was at the back door of the station before anybody 
knew it. 

" The fact that the President was to leave Washington 
for New York on the regular Congressional express had 
been announced for some days in the daily press, and 
the announcement was officially confirmed at the White 
House. It was stated also that there was to be no 
special train. The official utterances of the White 
House, however, are not implicitly relied upon in the 
days of the honey-moon, and the fact was not considered 
as well established until it was confirmed by the railroad 
officials. . . . The Cabinet members of the President's 
party evidently understood that the train was to leave 
as on other days and came to the station early. 

" Some time before the Presidential party came, two 
mysterious-looking men, who kept their own counsel 
and whom no one knew, arrived, took up their position 
near the entrance to the private car, and seemed to 
make it their business to know who was present. There 
was a business headquarters look about them which 
reminded the lookers-on of similar strangers who were 
in attendance upon the President at the time of the 
inauguration, and who, it was afterwards discovered, 
were New York detectives, furnished by the President's 
excessively prudent friends as a body-guard. 

" One of these ever-present, ever-watchful strangers, 



WASHINGTON TO NEW YORK. Xlll 

save for his face which had a much happier look, might 
have been taken for the President himself. 

" The Cabinet party began to arrive, and the strangers 
moved from the gate a little to keep a close watch upon 
the car. If it was their purpose to keep the reporters 
away from the President they were unsuccessful, for the 
reporters were there in force. If they came to keep 
any one else away they were in like manner unsuccess- 
ful, for no one else had curiosity enough to come to the 
station in the hot sun. 

" Postmaster-General and Mrs. Vilas were the first of 
the Presidential party to arrive, accompanied by Assist- 
ant Postmaster-General Knott, of Maryland. The 
latter, known by virtue of his position to most railroad 
officials, had the side gate at once opened, and the 
Postmaster-General, Mrs. Vilas, Mrs. Lamont (who 
went as a guest of the party), Mr. and Mrs. Endicott, 
and Secretary Lamar at once walked down the long 
platform. They were the only members of the com- 
pany, except the President himself and his valet, Henry, 
for whom there was a long wait. The ladies at once 
entered the saloon parlor, at the rear of Vice-President 
Thomson's car. The drawing-room in the front part of 
the car was reserved for President Cleveland, and every 
blind and curtain in it was closely drawn. . . . 

" The lone wait that followed created uneasiness. . . . 
The train was held three or four minutes. . . . The 
President had not come. Then there was a movement 
and the word was passed along the scattered line : 
' There he comes. He is coming the back way ! ' 



XIV IN NEW YORK. 

" Mr. Cleveland came in sight on the long platform 
from the South End about five minutes after the time 
for the regular leaving of the train. . . He was accom- 
panied by an assistant station-agent, who, in case of an 
accident, had apparently been stationed as a picket in the 
outfield. . . . He had hardly put foot upon the plat- 
form when the belated train rapidly pulled out of the 
station." 

Such a description is certainly a commentary on the 
rather dyspeptic manner in which Americans, as a 
people, get through with the business of life ! 

Miss Folsom kept herself as secluded as possible 
during the remainder of her stay in New York, but, as 
the wedding-day had been fixed for the 2d of June, 
there was much busy preparation and excitement. 
There had been considerable public comment as to 
whether the marriage ceremony should take place in 
the White House or at the Folsom residence, and as 
social annals failed to furnish a precedent some of the 
more conservative members of society doubted the 
good taste of a wedding in the White House. Never- 
theless this was finally decided upon, and elaborate 
preparations were set on foot. The Executive Mansion 
became the scene of the hasty labors of upholsterers, 
decorators, and florists ; there were crowds of callers, 
most of whom were unsuccessful in seeing the President, 
who escaped much annoyance by driving out to his 
country place, " Pretty Prospect," and turning his visitors 
over to the tender mercies of the doorkeepers. 



WEDDING PREPARATIONS. XV 

By Wednesday, June 2d, the preparations were com- 
plete. The Blue Room, in which the ceremony was to 
take place, had been converted into a Psyche's Bovver 
of loveliness. The south side was a solid bank of dark- 
areen foliaee, against which stood out the red and pink 
and white of azaleas and camellias. The fire-places 
were filled with potted plants, while the mantels were 
nearly concealed beneath banks of flowers. The east 
mantel was covered with purple pansies, bordered with 
a line of yellow, and fringed with ferns. On this purple 
bed appeared the inscription, "June 2d, 1886," in white 
pansies. On the west mantel was a bank of crimson 
roses, bordered with maiden's-hair fern, and bearing 
the monogram " C. F." in white moss roses. The mir- 
rors were bordered by parti-colored garlands composed 
of roses and other rare flowers. Great palms stood, 
sentry-like, on either side of the doorway leading to the 
main hall, and a scroll, composed of pinks and bearing 
the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum" was fixed im- 
mediately above the centre doorway. 

The East Parlor was decorated in a style quite differ- 
ent, but equally handsome ; there were fewer flowers, 
but the display of foliage, especially rare palms, was 
exceedingly fine. The Green Parlor was comparatively 
devoid of ornament, but such decoration as had been 
attempted there was in excellent taste and showed in 
pleasing contrast with the greater elaboration bestowed 
upon the other apartments. In the dining-room the 
ornamentation was in oreneral character similar to that 



XVI THE BLUE ROOM. 

of the East Parlor. Potted plants, arranged in pyramids, 
filled the corners, and roses festooned the mirrors. The 
side-boards were covered with rare plants, and a floral 
piece in the centre of the table represented a ship under 
full sail, the national colors flying from her mast-head, 
with a pennant bearing the monogram " C. F." 

It was nearly seven o'clock in the evening when the 
wedding guests assembled in the Blue Room. Owing 
to the President's desire that the affair should be as 
private as possible, the Diplomatic Corps had not been 
invited, and the following guests were the only persons 
present: 

Mrs. Folsom, the mother of the bride ; Rev. W. N. 
Cleveland, the President's brother; Mrs. Hoyt and 
Miss Cleveland, the President's sisters ; Mr. Bayard, 
Secretary of State ; Mr. Manning, Secretary of the 
Treasury, with Mrs. Manning; Mr. Endicott, Secretary 
of War, with Mrs. Endicott; Mr. Whitney, Secretary 
of the Navy, with Mrs. Whitney ; Mr. Vilas, Postmaster- 
General, with Mrs. Vilas ; Mr. Lamar, Secretary of the 
Interior ; Colonel Lamont, Private Secretary, with Mrs. 
Lamont ; Benjamin Folsom, Esq. ; Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, 
of Seneca Falls, N. Y. ; Mrs. Cadman and Miss Hud- 
dleston, of Detroit; Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, of Boston; 
Miss Nelson, of New York ; W. S. Bissell, Esq., of 
Buffalo, and Dr. and Mrs. Byron Sunderland. The 
Attorney-General, though invited, was not present. 

The guests placed themselves in the form of a semi- 
circle, Mr. Bayard being at the extreme left and Rev. 
Mr. Cleveland at the extreme right. 



» 



THE WEDDING DRESS. XV11 

The Marine Band, which was stationed in the ante- 
room, gave forth the dulcet strains of the perennial 
wedding march of Mendelssohn, as the Rev. Dr. Sunder- 
md took his position at the south end of the room, and 
immediately after the bridal party entered. Miss Fol- 
som leaned upon the President's arm, looking exceed- 
ingly pretty in her wedding dress of cream white satin. 
One skilled in the phraseology of the modiste has 
described this costume as follows : 

The dress was of thick ivory satin, with high, plain 
corsage, elbow sleeves, and very long train. The front 
breadth just below the waist was draped from side to 
side with soft silk India muslin, attached on the left 
side, and nearly joining the court train. The muslin 
was bordered with a narrowband of orange flowers and 
leaves that outlined the draping. The train, which was 
attached to the plain bodice just below the waist, meas- 
ured over four yards in length, was slightly rounded, 
and fell in full plaits on the floor, with no trimming but 
its own richness. Two scarfs of the muslin, starting 
from the shoulder seams, crossed the bosom in Grecian 
folds and were bordered with a narrow band of orange 
flowers to correspond with the skirt. The scarfs disap- 
peared under a girdle of satin, crossing the bodice from 
left to right. The sleeves were trimmed with folds of 
the mull and two or three orange buds and blossoms. 
The tulle veil, six yards in length, was fastened with a 
coronet of myrtle and orange blossoms above the high 
coiffure, its folds lightly covering the entire train. The 



XV111 THE WEDDING. 

general effect was that of exquisite simplicity, suited to 
the beauty of the bride. She wore no jewelry and 
carried no hand-bouquet, but lightly held a superb white 
fan. 

The President wore the canonical evening- suit of 
black. The bearing of the couple was dignified and im- 
pressive. They were followed by the few guests who 
were closely related to the contracting parties, and as 
soon as the usual hush of such occasions had fallen upon 
the assemblage Dr. Sunderland offered up the following 
prayer : 

"Almighty and Everlasting God, the Father of our 
spirits, the Framer of our bodies, the Giver of every 
good and perfect gift — Thou who canst see the end 
from the beginning, who knowest what is best for us 
Thy children, and hast appointed the holy rite of mar- 
riage to be sacredly observed throughout all genera, 
tions — regard now, we beseech Thee, Thy servant, our 
Chief Magistrate ; endow him plenteously with Thy 
grace, and fill him with wisdom to walk in Thy ordi- 
nances. Be very nigh to him in the midst of many 
cares and grave responsibilities ; day by day may Thy 
law direct him and Thy strength uphold him, and be 
Thou forever his Sun and Shield. And be graciously 
pleased to look down upon this Thy daughter, even as 
Thou didst favor the chosen Rebecca and many noble 
women that have adorned the world. May she indeed 
be a precious boon of God to her husband, to cheer 
and help him continually — a woman gifted with the 



I 



THE WEDDING. XIX 

beauty of the Lord and shedding the sweet influence of 
a Christian life upon the nation in whose sight she is to 
dwell. Wilt Thou approve what we, Thy servants, 
come to do in Thy name, by Thine authority and under 
the laws of the land in which we live ; and graciously 
assist them, this man and this woman, who are here to 
be united in the bonds of holy wedlock according to the 
institution of Thy words. Mercifully be pleased, Al- 
mighty God, to vouchsafe to each of them Thy grace, 
that they may well and truly weigh the unfailing vows 
which they are now about to make to each other in the 
presence of this company and before Thee, and that 
they may be enabled hereafter at all times so to live 
together as to rejoice in the solemnization of this union 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen." 

The reverend doctor then performed the marriage 
ceremony in a manner at once solemn and impressive, 
the bride and groom making their responses in clear 
tones. The ring was then passed and placed upon the 
bride's finger, and the two were pronounced man and 
wife. The following benediction was spoken by the 
Rev. Mr. Cleveland: "God the Father, God the Son 
and God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve and keep you, 
the Lord mercifully fill you with all temporal and all 
spiritual blessings, and grant that you may so live to- 
gether in this world that in the world to come you may 
have life everlasting. Amen." 

The ceremony occupied ten minutes. The Rev. Mr. 



XX THE DEPARTURE. 

Cleveland came forward first to offer his congratulations, 
and kissed the bride. Mr. Whitney followed and then 
Mr. Lamar and the rest. Upon Colonel Lamont's invi- 
tation the guests then entered the dining-room, where a 
collation was served. Very elegant white satin boxes 
containing pieces of the wedding cake were distributed 
as souvenirs, the date, June 2, 1886, being embroidered 
in colors on the covers. 

Shortly after eight o'clock the President and Mrs. 
Cleveland left the supper-room, and presently re- 
appeared in travelling dress, prepared to take a special 
train to Deer Park, where they were to pass the honey- 
moon. Hasty good-byes were exchanged, and the 
couple made their exit from a private door at which the 
President's landau was awaiting them. It was a difficult 
matter to escape the crowd, but by a little judicious 
manoeuvring this was accomplished in a reasonably 
satisfactory manner. While the Marine Band was dis- 
coursing " Lohengrin," " Maritana " and Mendelssohn's 
"Spring Song," the President and his bride made good 
their escape and were soon swiftly whirling away in the 
direction of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad station. It 
was a drive of two miles, and as they took a circuitous 
route they did not reach the station until a quarter 
after nine. President Garrett's private car, with an- 
other coach and a baggage car, had been waiting their 
arrival for half an hour; baggage was stowed away, 
servants were in attendance, and everything in order, 
so that when the happy pair stepped aboard there was 



THE WEDDING JOURNEY. XXI 

nothing to do but get away as quickly as possible, 
which feat was accomplished with remarkable celerity. 

Deer Park, which the President had selected for the 
scene of his honey-moon, is a charming summer resort 
on the crest of the Alleghanies, and as the hotel season 
does not usually open before the end of June the com- 
parative privacy which might reasonably be anticipated 
doubtless had much to do with the selection, which was 
certainly a judicious one. The journey to this retreat 
was safely accomplished, and the bridal couple had at 
last a chance to enjoy a little of that repose, " far from 
the madding crowd," which is always acceptable to the 
man who has been for a long time in the hurly-burly of 
affairs, but especially so to him who has just put his 
neck through the hymeneal yoke. The President had 
hired a cozy cottage, in which he and his wife at once 
settled themselves. 

As to the pleasant way in which life went with them, 
no better picture can be obtained than that furnished by 
a correspondent of the New York World: 

" When the sun rose over the summit of Eagle Rock 
this morning (June 4) there were no signs of life at the 
little cottage where President Cleveland and his bride 
have made their home for the honey-moon. A few 
clouds were in the sky, but with the breaking of day all 
was clear save a slight film that lowered from the north. 
In the valley below a heavy mist hung about the rocky 
cliffs and hid from view the little tributary of the Poto- 
mac, which, in the stillness of the mountains, could be 



XX11 DEER PARK. 

heard rushing on below. As the sun rose higher a 
slight breeze sprang up from the east and stirred the 
leaves on the oaks around the executive cottage. A 
more beautiful morning could not have been. The cool, 
bracing air of the mountain was warmed by the sun, 
and the clear atmosphere, like a huge magnifying glass, 
brought distant objects and the tops of the surrounding 
hills almost within reach. The first sound which broke 
the stillness was the voice of a young peacock perched 
upon the chimney of Stephen B. Elkins' cottage, next 
that of the President. In a few moments the birds were 
singing under the window of the bridal chamber, and 
the second day of the honey-moon had fairly begun. A 
curl of smoke floated out of the chimney of the cottage 
at eight o'clock, and the breeze drifted lazily away over 
the side of the mountain into the valley below. The ser- 
vants were up and had kindled a little blaze in the fire- 
place in the sitting-room, the blinds were opened and 
the piazza swept, and the cottage was awake. 

" Shortly after nine o'clock President Cleveland made 
his appearance for a moment at the front door, hat in 
hand, and after a few breaths of the mountain air passed 
out for a few moments' stroll in the rear of the cottage. 
He had hardly turned the corner of a little rustic sum- 
mer house among the trees when Mrs. Cleveland 
stepped on the piazza and stood for some time looking 
about and towards the far-away hills. She was dressed 
as usual in her pearl-gray suit, but wore no hat. Over 
her shoulders was thrown a light shawl. 



A TOUCHING INCIDENT. XXU1 

"After walking the length of the piazza several times 
she seated herself in a wicker rocking-chair and con- 
tinued to enjoy the charming scenery. Both the Presi- 
dent and his bride seemed fresh and orient after their 
long, mght's rest. At five minutes after ten o'clock the 
President came up the steps of the porch and, taking 
Mrs. Cleveland's arm, retired to the dining-room, where 
breakfast was waiting them. While they were enjoy- 
ing their morning meal an incident occurred which, had 
Mr. Cleveland known of it, would probably for once 
have relaxed the police vigilance with which the cottage 
is guarded. An old colored woman shambled slowly 
up the path in front of the house, and encountering the 
sentry on post asked to be allowed to see the President. 
She led by one hand a little curly-headed boy, and in the 
other carried a bouquet of wild flowers which she had 
plucked for Mrs. Cleveland. The old woman had jour- 
neyed all night from over the hills from her little hut on 
the side of the mountain at Swanton, ten miles away. 
She wore an old faded calico-print dress, with a red 
bandanna handkerchief around her neck and up over 
her head in lieu of a hat, while her toes protruded from 
a pair of venerable slippers. Under her arm was an 
umbrella and a well-worn carpet-bag which antedated 
the last war. 

" The guard told her that he would receive no visitors. 
Thinking that after her long journey she could not be 
refused, the old woman would hear of no such answer. 
Finally, after a half-hour's argument, the poor old 



XXIV AN IDEAL HONEY-MOON. 

creature broke down and cried piteously. She pointed 
to her child and begged that he might at least be 
allowed to look at the President, but finding her en- 
treaties of no avail she slowly and sadly took her child 
in her arms and with tears in her eyes started back 
over the hills to her hut. 

" The poor old negro and her child were not the 
only disappointed visitors at the executive cottage. 
Hundreds of people who had heard of the arrival 
of the bridal party lost no time in hastening to get a 
look at the couple. The stalls around the village 
church and in front of the country stores were crowded 
full of every conceivable style of rural vehicle. The 
people had journeyed to Deer Park from their homes 
miles away, and all were intent upon getting at least 
one good view of the President and his bride." 

An invitation having been accepted to lunch with Mr. 
and Mrs. Davis, we are further told how delightful the 
affair was, and how, on the way home, Mrs. Cleveland 
drank some of the pure mountain water, using her fair 
hands in the absence of a cup, all of which interesting 
details tend to show that the Chief Magistrate of a great 
nation and that Chief Magistrate's bride feel and act 
much the same as other people when they have an 
opportunity of relaxation in close contact with the 
beauties of nature. The honey-moon seems indeed to 
have been a quite arcadian and ideal affair ; the President 
went fishing; his wife enjoyed the air and scenery; the 
public, though piqued by a pardonable curiosity, were 



CHURCH AT OAKLAND. XXV 

fairly considerate of their privacy and nothing occurred 
to mar the pleasure of the holiday. On Sunday, the 
6th, Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland attended church at Oak- 
land, and were, of course, the cynosure of all eyes. 

As the party passed up the aisle a smile was observed 
to play about the mouth of the youthful bride ; it was 
caused by the fact that the good people of Deer Park 
had deemed it necessary to decorate the little pulpit 
with artificial flowers as an especial token of their 
recognition of the dignity of the occasion. With the 
surrounding hillsides Glorious in a dress of nature's 
own providing, — with valleys radiant in the variegated 
beauty of natural flowers, — it was yet thought to be in 
accordance with the canons of " ofood form " to wreath 
the pulpit in the poor imitation article. No wonder 
that Mrs. Cleveland smiled more broadly than the 
happiness of a honey-moon could reasonably account 
for; and yet the intention of the inhabitants of Deer 
Park was so manifestly kindly that one hesitates to con- 
demn even their good taste. The 8th had been fixed 
upon as the day of departure, and as the time to leave 
approached the little party seemed to feel a genuine re- 
gret. On the morning of that day the President and 
Mrs. Cleveland strolled out under the trees and gathered 
flowers in truly pastoral simplicity. Doubtless they 
wished to carry away these sweet souvenirs of a visit 
which must have had for them a double charm. They 
were joined by Colonel Lamont and breakfasted upon 
some of the trout caught the day before. Later, the Pres- 



XXVI RETURN TO WASHINGTON. 

ident drove to the observatory which crowns the long hill 
opposite the depot, and from this point of vantage took 
a last look at the beautiful hills. At noon the cottage 
was again reached, and, all preparations having been 
completed, the party left for Washington on a special 
train about one o'clock in the afternoon. It had been 
the President's desire to avoid any demonstrations on 
the way home, and with this end in view he had en- 
deavored to keep the time of his departure from Deer 
Park a secret. But all in vain! His intentions were 
telegraphed ahead, and crowds, and committees and the 
inevitable brass bands were awaiting him everywhere. 
At the regular Deer Park station the President and 
wife stepped out on the rear platform and were lustily 
cheered. The same performance had to be gone through 
with at Piedmont and at Keyser, and, in a modified de- 
gree, at Sir John's Run, where luncheon was served. 
The train was somewhat behind time in reaching Wash- 
ington, but the patience of a large crowd was not ex- 
hausted, and a squad of police was required to keep a 
way open for the bridal party to reach their carriages. 
It was after seven in the evening when a clatter of hoofs 
upon the asphalt pavement of the Executive Mansion 
announced the arrival of the carriages — one of which 
came in advance and contained the President's valet and 
Mrs. Cleveland's maid. At eight, dinner was served. 
In addition to the President and his wife there were 
present Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland, Mrs. Hoyt, 
Miss Nelson, Colonel and Mrs. Lamont, and Rev. W. N. 



ARRIVAL HOME. XXV11 

Cleveland and wife. It was an eminently sociable party 
and an enjoyable occasion upon which the young bride 
thus fairly entered upon her duties as mistress of the 
White House. Just how intricate these duties are can 
scarcely be appreciated by one not familiar with the 
complicated social etiquette of the Capital. It is at all 
times necessary for the wife of the President to proceed 
in accordance with recognized social precedent, and any 
mistake on her part would inevitably lead to heartburn- 
ings and jealousies — perhaps to the giving of offence in 
high quarters. She must understand whom to invite, when 
to invite them, and the order of their invitation. When 
the officials return from their summer vacations there is 
a busy period of calling and the exchanging of cards. 
There are few entertainments, but a vast amount of pre- 
liminary skirmishing in anticipation of the opening of 
the regular campaign. This period, too, has its really 
practical use in the necessity that people should become 
acquainted with one another ; for the changes are con- 
tinual. A new President enters upon his duties every 
four years. With his installation comes an entirely new 
set of personal and political friends ; the Cabinet is 
changed ; the wives of the ministers have to establish 
afresh the arrangement of their intercourse in the social 
field ; the order of precedence has to be reinforced, for 
in a democratic country, devoid of the landmarks and 
fixed lines of demarkation furnished by a titled nobility, 
this order of precedence is continually being over- 
ridden and altered. Every two years one-third of the 



XXV111 SOCIAL DUTIES. 

Senators are chosen. Every two years there is a new- 
lower House. The officers of the army and navy are 
being continually shifted from duty at Washington to 
duty on the frontier or at sea, and thus a quite im- 
portant element in society is constantly being changed 
in character. 

The whole social circle is thus in a state of ebb and 
flow. Even the Diplomatic Corps, which in a certain 
sense is a part of the life of official society, is scarcely of 
sufficient permanence to form any exception to the rule 
of endless change. Indeed, the one exception to this 
rule is the Supreme Court, the Justices of which, with their 
ladies, form a circle which is at all times duly mindful 
of the dignity of the judicial branch of the government, 
and is, on the whole, the most exclusive circle in Wash- 
ington society. As the Court assembles in October, the 
season may be said to open with the ceremonial calls of 
the Justices upon the President and Vice-President, and 
upon one another in the established order of precedence. 
Afterwards comes the exchange of courtesies among 
the resident official and unofficial class. The Conores- 
sional circle begins its season in December, the wives 
of Senators and Representatives exchanging calls and 
cards. The President's State Reception is given on 
New Year's day, after which receptions, balls and social 
entertainments of every description follow one another 
with bewildering rapidity. It is understood that the 
President's wife does not return calls, but she is com- 
pelled to receive a very large number of them, and is 



THE MISTRESS OF THE WHITE HOUSE. XXIX 

expected to know just how and when they should be 
received. She is not expected to accept invitations to 
social entertainments, but she is expected to extend 
hospitality to many persons, who, though all perhaps of 
greater or less political distinction, vary greatly in their 
importance in the social scale. Manifestly she must 
possess sufficient tact to get the right people together 
and keep the wrong people apart, and even a lady highly 
endowed with that most desirable quality would be apt 
at times to find herself in need of an experienced 
mentor. 

Upon assuming her duties at the White House Mrs. 
Cleveland showed a disposition to get about her a 
coterie of the younger ladies, and with this end in 
view invited certain Senators and Representatives, with 
their wives, to make social calls at the White House 
during several evenings of the week. She was thus 
enabled to form an opinion as to the social qualifica- 
tions, etc., of the ladies invited, and from among them 
will doubtless gather her own little court for the bril- 
liancies of the coming season. 

On Tuesday, June 15th, the first State Reception of 
the President and Mrs. Cleveland furnished an excellent 
opportunity of judging of the latter's ability to meet the 
rather pressing requirements of her new position. The 
reception rooms were brilliantly lighted and decorated, 
much in the same manner as at the wedding ceremony. 
The East Room was especially beautiful ; large tropical 
plants were placed in the corners and recesses, and the 



XXX FIRST STATE RECEPTION. 

mantels were banked with mosses and flowers. The 
chandeliers were draped with smilax, and the pillars 
ornamented with mammoth floral shields. The receiv- 
ing' party entered the room just before nine o'clock, the 
President escorting his bride, followed by Secretary and 
Mrs. Endicott, Secretary and Mrs. Whitney, Postmaster- 
General and Mrs. Vilas, Colonel and Mrs. Lamont, Miss 
Endicott and Lieutenant Duval, in the order named. 
The company having ranged themselves in the oval form 
for which the Blue Room seems especially designed, a 
special reception was accorded to the Diplomatic Corps, 
that body having tendered a request for this oppor- 
tunity to pay their respects and offer their felicitations. 
The presentations to the President were made by Chief 
Clerk Sevellon A. Brown ; those to Mrs. Cleveland by 
Assistant Secretary of State Porter. The members of 
the Corps appeared in full uniform ; they were accom- 
panied by the ladies of their families. Prince Leopold 
Auguste of Brazil was also present, and in his honor the 
Marine Band played the Brazilian national anthem. 
The scene was very brilliant, and the grace and dignity 
displayed by the young mistress of the house won the 
admiration even of those who plume themselves espe- 
cially upon the minute details of social etiquette and 
Savoir-faire. 

Following the reception to the Diplomatic Corps came 
that to the Judiciary, Congress, Army and Navy officers 
and departmental officials. The presentations to the 
President were made by Colonel Wilson, while Lieu- 



FIRST PUBLIC RECEPTION. XXXI 

tenant Duval performed the like agreeable duty towards 
Mrs. Cleveland. A laro-e number of ladies and gentle- 
men paid their respects. Mrs. Cleveland wore the 
trained skirt of her bridal dress, with a low bodice of 
ivory satin, edged with folds of mull, and filled in with 
lace. She had a corsage bouquet of roses and on her 
neck gleamed the diamond necklace, her husband's wed- 
ding gift. She was assisted in receiving by Mrs. Endi- 
cott, Mrs. Whitney, and Mrs. Vilas. Mrs. Cleveland 
performed the duties of hostess with rare delicacy and 
tact, but her ability to meet the ordeal of a more demo- 
cratic entertainment remained to be shown. 

No better test of this ability could well have occurred 
than the reception to the general public on the evening 
of June 1 8th. It was a crush of people representing the 
great masses ;. men, women and children of all degrees, 
eager to pay their respects to the chief magistrate of the 
land, and to get a glimpse of his bride ; people who had 
no thought of the regulation dress suits and court trains, 
but who had donned their best clothes and come to ex- 
tend an honest greeting of welcome and to express a 
hearty good-will. It was a gathering essentially demo- 
cratic and typically American — a good-natured crowd 
who came an hour before the time appointed and stood 
in line on the west side of the White House erounds, 
patiently awaiting the opportunity to reach the President 
and his wife. The gates were not opened until nine 
o'clock, and then it was with some difficulty that the 
guards kept the surging mass in line. By this time the 



XXX11 FIRST PUBLIC RECEPTION. 

line extended down the west side to the gates, thence 
on Pennsylvania avenue to Fifteenth street, number- 
ing probably ten thousand persons, of whom about 
half succeeded in being presented. The mansion had 
been fitted up in such a way as to facilitate as far as 
possible the entrance and egress of the crowd. The 
dining-room was transformed into a cloak-room, and 
numerous attendants were present to take and check 
wraps. Comparatively few of the callers availed them- 
selves of this convenience, however, the great object 
seeming to be to press on, hat in hand, to the President 
and Mrs. Cleveland, who stood receiving everybody 
graciously, assisted by several members of the cabinet 
and their wives. It was one o'clock before the doors 
were closed, and the experience must have been as 
fatiguing as it was novel to the lady who thus made her 
entrance upon the public duties of her new social posi- 
tion. The impression which she made was altogether 
agreeable, as she seemed to combine affability with dig- 
nity, a combination at once rare and of the first impor- 
tance in the wife of a President of this Republic. 

On Tuesday, the 226. of June, the first informal "At 
Home " was criven, from twelve to one o'clock, but o\vin<j 
to the heavy rain the attendance was not large. In the 
evening the President and Mrs. Cleveland were enter- 
tained at dinner by Postmaster-General and Mrs. Vilas. 
Covers were laid for fourteen, and the affair was both 
formal and elegant. 

The second Card Reception, on June 24th, was well 



AT THE CAPITOL. XXX111 

attended, and on the same evening Secretary and Mrs. 
Whitney gave a dinner in honor of the bride and 
groom, at which Mrs. Cleveland appeared to especial 
advantage. 

Other receptions were given on the 29th of June and 
on the 1 st and 8th of July, at all of which the wife of the 
President may be said to have won all hearts by the 
graciousness of her presence. 

It was upon this latter date that Mrs. Cleveland made 
her first appearance at the Capitol. She occupied a 
seat in the President's gallery of the House of Repre- 
sentatives, accompanied by Mrs. Vilas, Mrs. Lamont and 
Captain Eads. The public gallery, which adjoins the 
executive gallery, was soon crowded with people eager 
to gaze, at short range, upon the new lady of the White 
House, an ordeal through which the lady passed with 
much equanimity, though it must have been very trying 
to her. From the House the party passed over to the 
Senate Chamber, where there was less crowd and more 
consideration. 

It would doubtless have been of much practical ad- 
vantage to a young lady so suddenly thrust into a posi- 
tion of high responsibilities, if she could have had the 
advice and assistance of one already familiar with those 
responsibilities, and it was thought that Miss Rose 
Elizabeth Cleveland would perform the part of mentor ; 
but that lady has signalized her abdication of the social 
throne at the Executive Mansion by accepting the editor- 
ship of Literary Life, a Chicago periodical, to whose 



XXXIV MISS CLEVELAND S DEPARTURE. 

welfare she will probably devote her energies, and in 
whose pages much of her philosophy of life may be 
looked for. 



Since Mrs. Cleveland has been installed as mistress 
of the White House there has been a marked altera- 
tion in the atmosphere of the place, or at least in that 
portion of it which is devoted more especially to the 
domestic life. The feminine touch is observable in 
many little alterations as to the arrangement of furni- 
ture, and, in the language of a newspaper corre- 
spondent, " the rooms look less like a club, and more 
like a home," a change which even the bachelor habits 
of the President can scarcely fail to accommodate them- 
selves to. The daily routine is much the same as 
formerly, except that the President is about an hour 
later in getting started. Breakfast was formerly served 
at eight o'clock, and the President was frequently at his 
desk an hour before. Now the breakfast hour is nine 
o'clock, and Mr. Cleveland rarely attends to any official 
duties until after having breakfasted — contenting himself 
with passing through the library and taking with him 
into the dining-room such letters and telegrams as he 
may find upon his table. These he runs through 
hastily while waiting for breakfast to be served. 

Mrs. Cleveland, during the morning hours, divides 
her time between reading and domestic duties, and 
frequently wanders in the Conservatory, where she 



DOMESTIC LIFE. XXXV 

consults the gardener in regard to the well-being of the 
flowers, for which she has a passionate fondness. 

Sometimes, however, she joins her husband at his 
work, and a newspaper correspondent has somewhat 
jocosely stated, though with how much truth we can- 
not affirm, that she may be seen sitting- opposite the 
President at his desk, writing letters to her mother and 
friends — filled doubtless with accounts of her new ex- 
periences — while her husband gravely proceeds with the 
more pressing, if less agreeable, duty of signing vetoes 
to fraudulent pension bills and the like. 

There is every indication that Mrs. Cleveland will be- 
come the centre of a brilliant coterie in Washington, and 
that she will worthily fill her position in the line of the 
illustrious ladies who have presided over the social 
destinies of the White House. 



THE END. 



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